Full Circle
by DarkestAphelion
Summary: Between Akito and the jyuunishi extends a bond stronger than love. Shigure, Hatori, Ayame and Kureno are connected in ways the young would not understand. [YAOI. Mostly canon.]
1. Akito x Shigure

**:: preface**

Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya; general disclaimers apply. Spoilers for the characters are Shigure, Hatori, Ayame, Akito and Kureno. Please mark further spoilers in reviews.

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**Full Circle**

_Fruits Basket 5 x 900_

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**1**

There was an unspoken agreement between Akito and Shigure, these days. Shigure understood. His days of freely passing between masters were over.

Now that they were adults, all the jyuunshi stayed within their set borders. Akito pleased those whom he would, and the rest of the time stayed with Kureno. Shigure couldn't say he wasn't jealous of the rooster… but there was no use in trying to make Akito change his favorites.

"Konichiwa, Akito-san."

Shigure sat down beside their God. The young man had his head rested on the sill of the window, and his eyes were turned outward. On one outstretched finger there perched a white sparrow. Gently, Shigure tried to pet the bird, and Akito moved his finger away so quickly that the sparrow fluttered a beat away.

"Hatori-kun is being stifling again," Akito said wretchedly. "I don't believe it would be any more detrimental to my health to go to that secondary school, to watch the plays by Yuki-kun and the monsters."

"Haa-san will get in trouble if you get sick," Shigure replied. "He wants to be well for Mayuko-san's homecoming next week."

"That woman," said Akito. "You've mentioned her before. I will meet her, Shigure-kun."

"Yes," said Shigure. "It may be better to catch Haa-san unawares."

Akito smiled thinly, and his eyes had no warmth. "What a treacherous, conniving dog you are, Shigure-kun," he said. "I thought you knew… that it was no longer of any use to you to give anything more than you must, to me."

"I will always serve, and I have no choice but to bring you what you don't ask for," Shigure said honestly.

He bowed his head, and felt Akito's disparaging gaze on it. But he didn't care… Shigure didn't care if those eyes held malice, nor was he afraid of Akito's contemptuous judgment. As long as those hands still moved in affection… that was enough.

"My servant," breathed Akito.

Shigure felt Akito's warmth over him. Akito leaned over his still-bowed head, and combed fingers, too hasty to be gentle, through his hair. Shigure leaned his face upwards, then, and met the master's inviting, slowly seducing mouth.

That mouth stayed on the side of his face, and a smooth, ticklish tongue lapped at Shigure's cheek. The dog sighed, softly, and spread himself out on Akito's bamboo mat. He ran his fingers over the foreign wooden surface, and waited for Akito to join him.

When the young man lay down beside him, Shigure knew his duty. His twenty-seven years belied his skill, a master craftsman at the art of pleasuring the body. One of his hands rubbed the hollow of Akito's throat as he lapped the bitter skin down Akito's neck… the other slid down the smooth chest.

"E- ahh…"

Akito's moans, before they could sound out pleasured tones, turned themselves into harsh keens. His gasps had a hollowness to them that they had not possessed years before, but Shigure ignored the difference as well he did the other changes to the illness-changed body.

Warmth. Heat. Quivering chest, in the would-be muscles, and a fine, delicate shivering. Tense. Everything, held and tensed, stretched to the limit… Shigure's mouth stopped. Everything in the world held itself perfectly still for an instant.

"Ah- a… Shigure… kun…." Akito gasped. Shigure breathed heavily as his God's warmth spread to him, and he felt the unmistakeable, powerful presence throughout his body.

In time, Akito yawned, as if he had been completely bored the entire time. He stretched as best as he could, not caring if the old pains in the movement showed in his face, and wanting to shame his servant. Shigure was a good one to complain to. He had never undergone chronic, dehabilitating pain before in his life… and therefore, was one of the jyuunshi who had the ability to care.

"Akito-san," Shigure said quietly.

Akito rolled onto his back and slowly held himself up, collapsing on his kneeling knees before deigning to look at the dog. "Shigure-kun. I was pleased with the evening, and yet… you are not satisfied?"

None of Akito's questions actually pretended to ask anything. Shigure sat up and bowed. "I am always satisfied at your happiness, Akito-san," he said.

"Good."

When neither of them spoke for what felt like many minutes, Shigure cleared his throat. "May I leave you tonight, Akito-san? I have to drive home, and I believe that Toh- the children, will be waiting up for me. It's a school night."

"Nn." Akito ignored the irrelevant words. "See if Kureno is in the hallway."

Shigure nodded and padded to the door. He slid it open and looked both ways, when he saw the slim brunette dozing against the wall. "Eh- Kureno-san," he whispered. "Wake up. Wake up, Akito-san is wanting to see you now."

The man lifted his head immediately and was already awake. "Arigatou, Shigure-san," he said. "I'll… you can leave, now. I'll go see Akito-san."

Shigure saw himself out of the main house, and whistled a cheerful tune on the way to his little car. For the benefit of anyone who was watching, he wanted to seem the happy young man, the satisfied lover. But in coming from the main house, Shigure though, he would never be that. There was only so much pleasure he could derive from another's satisfaction.

Akito-san pleased those whom he would, and Shigure was no longer one of his chosen.

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**:: chapter endnotes**

Well if you're not semi-caught up on manga, I guess this doesn't make too much sense. The way this story is set up is this: five chapters, with a connected pairing in between them. For example, this is Akito x Shigure, so the next one will be Shigure x X and then X x Y, etc. There is a plot going through the chapters, and Akito is the tying-in theme.

So ,what did you think?


	2. Shigure x Kureno

**: notes**

To understand this chapter you need to have at least met Kureno (ch. 50) and preferably gotten to ch.60-70. Tiny spoiler that you won't even notice if you don't already know it, but if that bothers you… : )

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**Full Circle**

_Fruits Basket 5 x 900_

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**2**

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This feeling of euphoria- the Dog claimed its territory. Shigure knew Kureno's presence with _his_ master. It was easy to hunt down the bird. To kick in his face until his features were distorted, and then look to Akito for praise…

Shigure woke up with surprise. His last night's dream had startled him, as he was not a violent person.

"Nee, I guess he's getting to me more than I thought," Shigure muttered to himself, as he stood and drew the curtains. "I don't usually see Kureno…"

He breathed in the air, and called to Tohru downstairs for his breakfast. He ate with the children and saw them off to school.

That day he had the usual amount of work- no writing work at all. He fielded calls from his editor and managed to avoid a visit by Ayame, whom he wasn't in the mood for. The afternoon was peaceful; he had completed his obligation to Akito two days before, and wouldn't have to see the Head again for some days.

Shigure was deeply involved in editing a romance story when his sharp ears picked up someone knocking, and hesitating, at the front of the house. He swept up his papers and silently made his way to the door. Then, abruptly, he slid it open.

"Kureno-san!" Shigure said with affected surprise.

The young man smiled apologetically. "Sorry for interrupting your day, Shigure-san. May I come in?"

"But of course!"

Kureno did not often see Shigure, and so he, though an intelligent man, could not determine the Dog's mood. The Rooster did not know that when Shigure smiled so broadly, he was not happy. He did not know that Shigure was under stress, and when stressed…

"So Kureno-san, I'm very surprised to see you all the way out here…?"

"How so?" Kureno asked placidly.

"Oh, no matter," said Shigure. "It's just that Akito always has you hidden away so well, we the jyuunishi never see you."

"Akito-san is not well," Kureno said calmly. "Hatori-sensei ordered him to bed earlier and he was still sleeping when I left…" He paused. "Shigure-san, I am still part of the jyuunishi, whatever you may think of me. Please… do not exclude me when you are referring to us."

"Oh?" asked Shigure. "I think it's a fair enough distinction for you, considering your… privileges."

"Please stop, Shigure-san."

"You enjoy Akito-san… God's company, whenever He pleases," said Shigure, rising from his seat. "I don't think I need to tell you how fortunate you are to be able to have the company of women… do you know what your peers of the zodiac would do, to have that privilege?"

"Shigure-san…"

"Us jyuunishi!" cried Shigure. "Adults unable to have adult lives… and starved for love. So much that we'd sleep with our best friends… even if they were cousins."

Strange, thought Kureno. It was strange to have Shigure's breath so hot on him… when had the Dog gotten this close? It was unnerving… and yet, as he stared transfixed past the messy black fringe of hair, into molten dark eyes… he did not resist.

He reflexively opened his mouth to Shigure's rough tongue, and only barely hesitated when Shigure pushed him into the couch. He shifted in the not-unfamiliar position, and looked up at Shigure.

"You're his willing slave, aren't you?" muttered Shigure. "Have you never been in power over God? Are you always this quiet, pathetically yielding Bird?" He yanked off Kureno's shirt, producing a yelp. "Is that what Akito _wants_?"

"Is… that it?" Kureno managed. "Don't- put it on me."

"I won't be gentle to a man who's never had to seek out, _fight for_ his good fortune!" snarled Shigure. "I can't believe that Akito would get so close to a man who easily speaks of him like you did today. I see nothing of value in you!"

"I think that's because you're blind!" Kureno returned. "Oh- was right about you! Just a mutt who bites people when he doesn't get his way and is too obsessed with his master to see what a curr he is. Get off me!"

Shigure's hands stilled, and Kureno pushed the taller man off him. He stood guardedly… waiting.

"Akito never said that," Shigure said in a strange voice.

"I didn't say that he did," Kureno said carefully, belying his still-racing heart. "I… don't think that's what _he_… thinks of you."

"Then…" Shigure stopped. "Forget it. I just realized how completely ridiculous this is. I'm going to get dressed; do the same. Then out of my house, please."

Kureno watched the Dog as he tied his yukata. "You really are amazing, Shigure-san. I think that you naturally never show real emotion, or there's no way you could have changed faces so quickly."

Shigure smiled. "Who knows? Kureno-san, was there any purpose in your visit?"

"None now," said Kureno. "I'll see myself out."

He made sure that he looked presentable, and left the writer's house. On the wooded path, he passed the trio as they returned from school. He ignored their greeting, and likewise ignored Kyo's derisive comment, what was _he_ doing out?

Kureno didn't care what they thought. He was not in a bad mood- he had discovered, perhaps for real, what Shigure's feelings were. The Dog was willing to put himself in a cage, for what he thought were a few scratches on the head.

He was really quite misguided.

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**: notes**

Such a little thing, but it took me forever, gomen! Lunar new year a few days ago- year of the rooster now XD. Go Kureno! Next chap, who will be with him…

_Response to dimonyo-anghel:_ Ahh, I was thinking of the trio when I wrote that. Just meant that there's quite a bit of sexual tension here that they weouldn't get, the poor dears… (pats).  
_Response to kupo:_ Here's the update! It's not really "soon" though (sweatdrop)  
_Response to Ariel Tempest:_ Hehe, I don't get _that_ often! How ironic that it was your review that pushed me into this update!


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